Embrace. Wrestle. Ask questions. Seek answers. Be Shiny.

Rediscovering Christmas

Pastor Pete wrote a post yesterday on that subject. He linked to the 25 day reading plan from YouVersion. I decided to post my thoughts about the readings and associated exercises here.

Day 1

Luke 2:21-40

What moved me were the following verses spoken by Simeon:

27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, that they might do concerning him after the custom of the law, 28 then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, According to thy word, in peace; 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; 32 A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel.

I keep thinking back to this week’s message where Pastor Pete quoted Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:6-7:

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Have I? Am I? From the time of Jesus’ birth, he was our offering in our place. Born to bear our sins. What kind of legacy will I leave? What can I do now to leave one that will show God’s love for generations and to this current generation? Have you thought about that recently?

What is your legacy?

Day 2

Matthew 1

I think what stands out to me in this chapter is that

Jesus’ family tree is messed up.

Jesus’ family tree is full of people that God redeemed. Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth are named and if you are familiar with their stories, God redeemed their lives in different ways. He gave them new opportunities to serve Him and leave a legacy.

I don’t know if I had the faith of Joseph.

I don’t know if that will be a theme of this… legacy but it has stood out to me in the first two readings.

Joseph trusted the angel with his family name, his reputation. He put all of that in the Lord’s hands. Everything. The fact that Mary was pregnant before they were wed I’m sure made life more difficult for them in terms of dealing with their neighbors. Did Joseph lose business as a carpenter? We know so very little about him. Do you ever wonder what he thought? How he felt? Did he believe Jesus would be his and everyone’s Savior?